High blood pressure

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Replies

  • hologramsabc123
    hologramsabc123 Posts: 23 Member
    weirdpurplepig wrote: »
    Hi, I'm 33 and was diagnosed with Hypertension 1 last February. I had my bp reach as high as 190/100 due to stress and anxiety and the fact that hypertension and high cholesterol runs in my family and I am also obese. I am currently taking BP meds and have generally controlled my BP to 120/80 on a good day... There are still some "bad days" where in my BP would spike up to as high as 150/90. Like you, I am actually stressed about by BP which in turn also causes my BP to spike up. (crazy, huh?) But right now, I am trying to lose weight. I 've already lost 18 lbs so far (I used to weigh 160lbs and I am only 4 feet 11inches tall/short. ) and have tried to exercise as much as 30minutes a day atleast 5 days a week. I'm currently struggling with losing more weight as I feel that I have reached a plateau. I've also cut down on my sodium intake. Reading this thread here has helped me a lot because I've always felt "alone" in my struggle with hypertension. My family and loved ones are really all supportive, but sometimes it's nice to hear someone who really understands the struggle as they have gone through it themselves. Your stories are all inspiring me to keep doing what I'm doing and have a positive outlook in life. :smile: Hopefully I lose the 20 more pounds I need to lose to finally reach my weight goal and maybe stabilize my BP soon. Cheers! :smiley:

    Wow what a story! I am glad this post is making you feel better. It is for me too. Anxiety really has a huge roll in high blood pressure and I wish docs would look at that more instead of jumping to pills right away. I wish you the best of luck in it all and add me as a friend so we can support each other!!!
    laurenwilson60629 wrote: »
    Watching sodium and losing the weight WILL lower your BP. Mine was higher than yours 140's over 96. I wieghed 203 at 5ft 4 was drinking beer all the time and eating pizza, chinese, chips and put tons of salt on everything. Since January I cut the salt started using hot sauce for taste instead, started cooking light exercise and have lost 35lbs and my BP is a faithful 118 over 75. I also got a BP cuff at my pharmacy for about 40 bucks to moniter it every week.

    This is so motivating...wow! I don't eat a lot of fast food but I did go through a phase of being obsessed w Chinese...lol the worst!!! But your bp is amazing now!!! I will definitely keep going!

    **UPDATE**

    Just saw my doc and my bp was reading 145/90. We talked about everything and he thinks my anxiety has a big role but would like me to continue my new healthy lifestyle for a month and if it's now lower next month we will discuss medication. I personally don't think a month is enough time for me. I'd like to lose 20 lbs before seeing results I'm sure. He's referring me to a nutritionist and suggests I go back to my therapist for my anxiety and stress. I don't really have anything to talk about with my therapist that I don't already know so we will see.

    I'm getting tests for my heart and kidneys to rule any physical issues out. But so far my blood work had come out really healthy regarding cholesterol and iron etc.

    Here's hoping I can lower it at least a little in a month!!

  • merlosc33
    merlosc33 Posts: 38 Member
    Clean your diet and do a lot of running
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,097 Member
    hologramsabc123 wrote: »
    Hey guys!

    I thought I should give you an update.

    All tests came out perfect.

    I lost 8 lbs so far and my blood pressure has gone down to 117-120/80! Ive been watching my sodium intake, meditating everyday and working out 4-5 times a week.

    So it is possible for it to go down just with a healthy lifestyle for some. Not for all. But it can happen. I just have to keep going and not stop because I am now at risk.

    Great to hear.
  • shank35l
    shank35l Posts: 102 Member
    I was on Bystolic 5mg for a few years for pre-hypertension. My BP was averaging 132/78. I have mild LA rigidity and used to have bouts of stress induced ventricular tachycardia.

    I just got reduced to Bystolic 2.5mg with a plan to terminate medications within 6 months by my cardiologist because my trough values average 106/68 now after 8 months of maintaining healthy diet and regular mix of weights and HIIT. I still smoke and there is no sign of LA rigidity progressing.

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I really like @hologramsabc how you came back to give us regular updates on your progress. Girl, you really know how to respect a thread.
  • skinnymalinkyscot
    skinnymalinkyscot Posts: 174 Member
    same issues here, am hoping to lower my blood pressure through weight loss but am happy to take meds if the doctors prescibes them in the meantime ( just found out this week my BP is high) am off to a cardiologistsoon, wont bore with the details however, a useful tip is aside from diet and exercise, try and keep salt below 6g a day and switch to decaffinated tea, coffee and cola
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    hologramsabc123 wrote: »
    Hey guys!

    I thought I should give you an update.

    All tests came out perfect.

    I lost 8 lbs so far and my blood pressure has gone down to 117-120/80! Ive been watching my sodium intake, meditating everyday and working out 4-5 times a week.

    So it is possible for it to go down just with a healthy lifestyle for some. Not for all. But it can happen. I just have to keep going and not stop because I am now at risk.

    Woohoo! I have an update too. My ambulatory 24 hour monitor showed me anywhere from 190/120 to 140/100...I KNOW!

    I am on 12.5mg hydrochlorothiazide, but with the changes I made - particularly cutting my sodium down to low levels and drinking a lot more water, I was 114/80 within one week.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited May 2016
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    hologramsabc123 wrote: »
    Hey guys!

    I thought I should give you an update.

    All tests came out perfect.

    I lost 8 lbs so far and my blood pressure has gone down to 117-120/80! Ive been watching my sodium intake, meditating everyday and working out 4-5 times a week.

    So it is possible for it to go down just with a healthy lifestyle for some. Not for all. But it can happen. I just have to keep going and not stop because I am now at risk.

    Woohoo! I have an update too. My ambulatory 24 hour monitor showed me anywhere from 190/120 to 140/100...I KNOW!

    I am on 12.5mg hydrochlorothiazide, but with the changes I made - particularly cutting my sodium down to low levels and drinking a lot more water, I was 114/80 within one week.

    I'm also on HCT. I had a few scary months in the red zone with extreme stress, but the drug brought me down to the 130s/80s pretty quickly... Since starting MFP, exercising and losing weight, I've actually measured NORMAL the last few times I checked. I have decreased my sodium intake, make sure I have adequate potassium and magnesium, and I take CoQ-10 a couple times a week. I believe that the biggest factor for bringing it into the normal zone was the increase in exercise, because it seemed to really jump (down) after starting C25K.
  • hologramsabc123
    hologramsabc123 Posts: 23 Member
    That's amazing everyone! It's doable and we must never give up. I haven't felt this energetic in a really long time.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
    My wife lost weight 47 pounds (73 to go) and got off BP meds 100%.

    I lost 75+ pounds, work out religiously, eat right, and still have to take it - it was meant to be I suppose. FWIW - It is benign and I notice no difference when I forget to take it as compared with when I take it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    That's why they call it the "silent killer", @Tweaking_Time . Kudos to you for staying with the regimen, even though you feel no difference. I am sure you are adding years of vitality and on behalf of your wife, thank you.
  • hologramsabc123
    hologramsabc123 Posts: 23 Member
    Tweaking_Time wrote: »
    My wife lost weight 47 pounds (73 to go) and got off BP meds 100%.

    I lost 75+ pounds, work out religiously, eat right, and still have to take it - it was meant to be I suppose. FWIW - It is benign and I notice no difference when I forget to take it as compared with when I take it.

    It's the same with my dad. He works out every day, eats very clean food and is very natural. All about the Organic. But he still has very high bp so the meds are the only thing working for him. I am hoping I don't need meds only because the side effects scare me.

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